Glaucoma is a leading cause of world-wide blindness. Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) has been identified in multiple studies as a leading cause of glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON). While many glaucoma risk factors, such as family history of glaucoma, advanced age, and race have been identified, increased IOP is the only risk factor modifiable by medical or surgical intervention. Decreasing IOP has been linked to slower progression of visual field loss in ocular hypertensive patients as well as in various forms of glaucoma. While often effective at lowering IOP, the use of medical and surgical modalities to treat glaucoma is associated with unwanted side-effects, poor compliance with topical drop therapy and potential for infection, pain and loss of vision from invasive procedures.
Accordingly, there is a need for a non-invasive method for lowering intraocular pressure.